Switching device



Sept. 27, 1932.

I R. POPP SWITCHING DEVICE Filed June 25, 1930 Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE BUDOLF POPP, F VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MCGILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA SWITCHING DEVICE Application filed June 23, 1930. Serial No. 463,141.

My invention relates to switching mechanisms and has for its principal object the provision of certain improvements whereby the switch mechanism may safely be made of smaller more compact size with at the same time an economic advantage and saving due to the simplification of the assembly of the switch.

To bring about the above objects, my invention contemplates the provision of a novel bridging contact assembly whereby I am enabled to reduce the size necessary for the bridging contacts.

My invention also contemplates the provision in connection with the novel bridging contacts of a novel means for preventing chattering of these contacts as they engage the stationary spring contacts.

My invention alsocontemplates certain improvements in the means for rotating the bridging contacts which facilitate the assem bly and manufacture of the parts necessary to impart a step by step rotation to the disk which carries the bridging contacts.

My invention further contemplates certain improvements in connection with the mounting of the stationary contacts on the terminal posts whereby the positioning of the stationary contacts is simplified and made cheaper.

I will describe one form which my invention may take by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown. It is obvious, however, that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is, therefore, to be understood that this disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting the invention except in so far as it is limited by the claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the switching mechanism with the outer casing and the top frame piece removed;

Fig. 2 is a section longitudinally of the switch substantially through the center thereof, the switch operating handle being shown in full;

Fig. 3'is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the switch as it appears in the eas- Fig. 4 is an end view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a portion of the insulating lining 14. This outer casing and lining, however, are old and well known and form no part of the present invention. The two frame pieces and 11 are spaced apart by means of terminal posts such as indicated at 15 and 16 which posts are preferably duplicate stampings screw threaded to receive the terminal screws such as 17 and 18, and these stampings are also provided with top and bottom projections such as indicated at 19 and 20 which extend through corresponding openings in the frame pieces 10 and 11 and are upset so as to clamp the frame pieces in place. The sides of the terminal postsare also recessed as indicated at 21 and 22 and the stationary contacts are mounted in these recesses in a novel manner.

The stationary contacts 23 and 24 it will be noted are bent so as to have inwardly curved contacting portions lying substantially opposite each other and they then have a substantially straight portion which is rebent upon itself to give additional spring length, and then the contacts are bent over to provide the back portions as indicated at 25 (see Fig. 4) that can be fitted around the terminal .post so as to lie flat against the back side thereof. WVith the stationary contact engagingthe terminal post in this fashion, a portion of the material at each side edge of the recess in which the contact is mounted is punched over as indicated for example at 26 in Fig.- L"so as to clamp the stationary contact tightly in position in the recess of the terminal post. This makes a very simple and economic way of mounting the stationary contact and also provides a The spindle is rotated by means of a very inexpensive terminal post which may be applied to either side of the switch without fear of becoming mixed as each terminal post is exactly like the other, and they can only be assem ed in'one fashion that is with the stationary contacts directed inwardly.

' The frame pieces 10 and 11 also receive the U-shaped member 27 which has projections also adapted to be upset in the frame pieces so as to fix them solidly together and to fix the switch operating mechanism in place. This U-shaped member carries a well known type of switch operating lever indicated at 28 which is connected by means of the bar 29- tothe member 30 that turns the moving contact means. For a more complete means 28, attention is directed to the patent "to Despard No. 1,473,224, granted November The moving contact means consists essentially of a bridging contact member '31 which member is mounted onan insulating contact carrying disk 32 having alternate shallow teeth 33 and deep cut teeth 34 in its periphery, the bridging contact member having its contact surfaces indicated at 35 turned up so as to overlie the shallow teeth. This disk 32 is provided with a small aperture running all the way through and a polygonal recess,

as indicated most clearly at 36 in Fig.2, which recess receives the squared port1on37 of spindle 38. The spindle 38, it will be noted,

has small cylindrical portions extending into the frame pieces 10 and 11 so as to form a rotatable connection with the frame piece,

but the squared portion 37 fitting in the recess of the disk 32 causes the disk to rotate whenever the s'pindle is rotated.

The advantage of havmg the recess and the squared portion just referred to lies in the "fact that, where the spindle passes through the bridging contact member 31, only a relatively small amount of material must be cut out of the bridging contact member to provide the necessary insulating space between it and the spindle, the squared portion of the spindle, of course, being well insulated by the disk itself.

The squared portion of the spindle serves another important purpose. It combines with the squared cavity in the disk to hold in place all the parts below the ratchet wheel 39. The length. of the squared portion of the stem is just sufficient to permit free movement of the rotating contact without allowing any looseness or play. This combination of the squared stem or spindle with the cylindrical extensions and the squared cavity in the contact disk with the bridging member underlying the disk and the ratchet mechanism overlying the disk forms a very simple and compact arrangement for a switch movement.

ratchet wheel 39 which has a square opening receiving the squared portion of the spindle and which is positioned by means of the member 30. This member 30, as shown most clearly by Fig. 5, is substantially U-shaped and has its opposite legs 40 and 41 tapered toward each other and provided with longitudinal slots as indicated at 42 and 43, slot 43 belng as shown considerably longer than slot 42. The free end of the leg 40 is also turned out as shown at 44 to facilitate its clearing the ratchet wheel when moving in one direction. The member 30 may well be made of resilient material and it is held normally in is thus held in position on the spindle 37 by the member 30 without the necessity of maltmg it a tight fit which would cause diflic ulty in assembling.

As a matter of fact, all of the parts of I movable contact mechanism can readily be dlsassembled or'assembled without the use of securing operation necessary is the upsetting of the projections such as 19, 20, when the assembly is completed.

It is believed it will be clear that, when for example the member 30 is moved to the right from the'position shown in Fig. 1, the leg 40- will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 39 and step it around in a clockwise direction onestep to brin the stationary contacts into engagement with a pair of the arms and movable contact members. Slot 43 being longer does not interf ere with this movement, but the engagement of the leg 41 with the squared shaft on one side and gagement of the leg '40 with'the teeth on e other side prevents the leg40'from moving too far outwardly with respect; to the shaft or spindle, and, when the stop motion iscompleted and the member 30 is being-returned by means of the spring 45 to its original position, leg 41 effectively guides by its engagement with the squared portion 37 of the spindle the leg 40 into the proper position to hook over the next succeeding teeth on the ratchet 39.

When the spring contact members 23 and 24 step from the deep cut teeth 34 of the disk- 00 any special tools or without the necessity .of pressmg them together tightly. The only The thickness of the switch need only be sufficient to provide for the necessary depth of the legs 40 and 41 together with the necessary thickness of the disk 32 and the movable bridging contact 31. Upturned edges 35 of the bridging contact are, of course, terminated short of the upper edge of the disk as indicated clearly at 35 in Fig. 3, and this, of course, avoids any possibility of the legs and .41 coming into engagement with the bridging contacts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Switching mechanisnr comprising a framework including a pair'of terminal posts, spring contacts mounted thereon, and means for connecting and disconnecting said spring contacts comprising a disk of insulating material provided around its periphery with ratchet teeth, bridging contact means on one side of said disk connectin and overlying certain opposite pairs of said teeth, a spindle having a polygonal portion extending part way through said disk from the side opposite said contact means and a reduced portion'extending from said polygonal portion through said disk and bridging contact means, said last named means being cut away to provide a space between it and the spindle, and means for rotating said spindle.

2. Switching mechanism comprising a framework including a pair of terminal posts, spring contacts mounted thereon, and means for connecting and disconnecting said spring contacts comprising ad'isk of insulating material provided around its periphery with ratchet teeth, bridging contact means con necting certain opposite teeth, a spindle pivoted in said framework and having connection with said disk whereby to cause it to rot-ate with said spindle, and means for rotating said spindle comprising a ratchet wheel non-rotatably mounted thereon, a. pawl comprising a U-shaped member having slots in the legs thereof receiving said wheel, one of said slots being shorter than the other to engage the teeth of said wheel, and means for reciprocating said pawl.

3. In a switch mechanism, a bridging contact assembly comprising an insulating disk, bridging contact means on one side of said disk and having contact portions on the periphery of said disk, said disk having an enlarged non-cylindrical recess in the side opposite said contact means, and a reduced cylindrical opening from the recess to the contact side of the disk, and a spindle having a non-cylindrical portion fitting in said recess and projecting beyond said disk on the side opposite the contact and a reduced portion extending through said opening to serve as a pivot for said assembly.

4. In a switch mechanism, a bridging contact assembly comprising an insulating disk,

contact side of the disk, and a spindle having a non-cylindrical portion fitting in said re cess and a reduced portion extending through said opening to serve as a pivot for said assemblv, said non-"cylindrical portion of said spind e projecting from said disk, and a ratchet wheel thereon provided with an opening fitting said non-cylindrical portion whereby the wheel is slidable but not rotatable on said portion.

5. In a switch, a framework having a pair of stationary contacts and terminals thereon, and means for connecting and. disconnecting said stationary contacts comprising a bridging contact member rotatably mounted in said framework, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said member, a U-shaped pawl actuator having slots in the legs thereof to receive and guide opposite sides of said wheel, one of said slots being shorter than the other to engage the teeth of said wheel.

6. A switch comprising a framework having spaced frame plates, stationary contacts therebetween, and bridging contact means comprising a spindle having reduced cylindrical end portions journalledin said plates and having a non-cylindrical portion between said plates of less length than the distance be tween said plates, an insulating member having a non-cylindrical recess in one side receiving the end of said last named portion, a bridging contactcarried on the other side'of said member, and ratchet mechanism on said last named portion and overlying the recessed side'of said member for turning said spindle.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th dayof June, A. D. 1930.

RUDOLF POPP. 

